1981
by Forreallil
Summary: Written in the perspective of the fifth Gryffindor in the Marauder's year. My first story so sorry if it sucks


September 8, 1971

Michael grinned. In his opinion, no first week of school could have gone better. Everywhere he went, there was something new to see, his classes were always interesting, and the food was amazing. Overall, he thought, there was no place he would rather be than Hogwarts.

True, being a Muggleborn did have its distinct disadvantages, but even if everyone was naturally inclined towards rejecting him, he was used to it. What was important was making sure he didn't let people's opinions define who he was.

He had been thrilled to be Sorted into what was clearly the most popular and accepted House, and he was going to make absolutely sure he didn't do anything to mess it up.

His fellow Gryffindors weren't exactly what he had hoped for, but he was already beginning to make friends with a boy named Peter.

The three other boys in his year, James, Sirius, and Remus, had begun forming their own exclusive group, and naturally, he and Peter had been the immediate outcasts.

But nothing could ruin the elated feeling he had had ever since he first set foot inside this castle.

October 17, 1973

Turning away from the four other boys in the room and pulling his drapes around his four-poster so as to hide himself from the unwanted sight of Peter clapping and cheering as James perfected a Stunning spell, Michael sighed. Just when he thought it had been going so well, Peter had decided that he would rather be the pawn of the group that called themselves the Marauders than a loyal friend.

After everything he had said over the last two years, after all that Peter had promised, his word turned out to be worthless.

If Michael had only realized that earlier, he would have been spared the feeling of betrayal he was now experiencing.

But if he really thought about it, he wasn't all that surprised. Peter had always longed for nothing more than to be accepted and respected, and becoming part of the coolest group of Gryffindors since the beginning of Hogwarts certainly would mean that.

Even if they were only accepting him because they wanted someone who would do anything for them (and Michael was positive this was the case), Peter wouldn't care. He would stay with them as long as he thought that he could get something out of them, but as soon as someone else showed up who offered Peter more, Michael knew his loyalty would vanish.

He only hoped for the Marauders' sake that that never happened.

November 3, 1981

Michael was shocked. In a million years he would never have guessed Peter would betray his friends on that level.

He knew that his loyalty wasn't exactly unwavering, but he would have thought that he at least wouldn't betray his professed friend' lives.

The whole Wizarding world might be convinced it had been Sirius Black, but Michael wasn't so easily fooled. He knew Peter better than anyone, and he would be willing to bet his life that it had been him, and not Sirius, who had killed the Potters.

Unfortunately, the only other people who might have believed him were now dead. He sighed. There was nothing else for it. He would have to go to the Minister for Magic himself.

February 21, 1982

"But, Minister-" Michael was suddenly cut off by the slam of a door. He groaned. No matter how he presented his case, Millicent Bagnold refused to even listen to him. Michael was disgusted with the government.

The instant they caught up to Sirius, they threw him in Azkaban, not even bothering to give him a trial!

Michael had been trying for months to convince them how that shouldn't be allowed, but they inevitably chose to keep the nation comfortable in their wrong opinion than to get anyone worried about You-Know-Who coming back with his faithful servant, who they now believed was dead.

Michael knew it was only a matter of time before that happened, and he had been spending every waking moment trying to at least get Sirius a trial.

If they only tested him with Veritaserum, they would know that he had never betrayed the Potters.

Michael was out to change the way they ran the whole Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and even though the entire Wizarding world was against him, he wasn't going to give up until they changed the law or threw him into Azkaban.

April 19, 1982

They threw him into Azkaban.

Michael was furious. No matter what he did, everyone was against him.

He was sure they knew how unjust this was, but they weren't even admitting to the public that he had been arrested.

However, with a life sentence, there wasn't really anything he could do. His last hope was to somehow find a way for Sirius to get out of Azkaban.

If he could somehow force the Ministry to give him a fair trial, he could prove his innocence, as well as Michael's.

As unimportant as Michael realized he was, he still didn't particularly want to stay in a cell until he went mad or died.

July 23, 1993

Michael was thrilled. His crazy plan had actually worked.

In the end, all it had taken was for him to fake his own death, blow up a wall over by the high-security prisoners, and then make it back to his own cell while all the Dementors were distracted so that as soon as Ministry representatives showed up, he could pretend like he had nothing to do with it.

In the meantime, Sirius was free, Michael would soon be released, and there was no way the new Minister, Cornelius Fudge, would be able to ignore this.

It was only a matter of time before the Ministry admitted its mistakes and focused on tracking down Peter Pettigrew. His happy ending was coming at last.

June 12, 1994

Michael was dying.

His last hours were spent in disbelief that the Ministry could seriously believe that James Potter's best friend could have killed him.

A few minutes before he succumbed, he lost any semblance of sanity.

He spent his last moments curled on the floor of his cell, laughing nervously and muttering to himself in a sing-song voice.

His last words were "It's almost over."


End file.
